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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Summit E16 Flip both offer 16GB of RAM and Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics, making them suitable for general usage, 3D/machine learning workloads, and engineering applications; however, they do have notable differences. The Surface Laptop is less expensive and more compact, with a 14.4-inch display, a higher-resolution screen, and better battery life, which enhances portability. Alternatively, the Summit E16 Flip has a larger 16-inch display, which might be better for multitasking and productivity, and includes Windows 11 Pro. If portability and cost are priorities, the Surface Laptop Studio may be the better choice. If a larger screen, slightly higher performance, and a more recent model are important, consider the Summit E16 Flip instead. Both offer touchscreen capabilities and are capable of intensive tasks, but the right choice depends on your priorities in terms of screen size, performance, and budget. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Summit E16 Flip
- The MSI Summit E16 Flip has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.0
8.0
14.4in
SIZE
16.0in
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The MSI Summit E16 Flip has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Summit E16 Flip offer screens with clear, high resolution and sufficient brightness, ensuring crisp text and vivid images during everyday tasks. In engineering and design, their wide color gamuts cover a broad spectrum, allowing for accurate color representation crucial for detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates could lead to less fluid motion and a less responsive experience, despite their reasonable resolution and panel types.
Build Quality
8.5
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the MSI Summit E16 Flip has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,413
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Summit E16 Flip costs $1,413.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.9
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
491.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio offers a solid blend for general use with its high screen pixel density and color coverage, accommodating intense multitasking and quality visuals, while its flexible hinge caters to different modes of use; however, it has less storage and shorter battery life compared to the MSI Summit E16 Flip, which also boasts a larger, high-refresh rate screen and extra features like a number pad and additional ports, making it versatile for a variety of tasks albeit at a slightly heavier weight. Both laptops are equipped with powerful processors, discrete GPUs, and ample RAM, but the MSI's newer CPU could lead to slightly better performance and efficiency in some tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.8
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MSI Summit E16 Flip offers a higher screen refresh rate and a larger battery than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which can result in smoother visuals and potentially longer play sessions when gaming or working with 3D graphics. Even though both laptops have the same GPU, the Summit's CPU has more processing power, which can complement the GPU performance for a better overall gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.7
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for engineering and design.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is well-suited for engineering and design due to its high-resolution flexible IPS display, allowing it to function as a laptop or drawing tablet, and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU for robust graphical tasks.
Content Creation
7.4
7.9
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.3
7.6
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2400 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Summit E16 Flip and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Summit E16 Flip has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Good
14.4in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and MSI Summit E16 Flip both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and the MSI Summit E16 Flip compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio | MSI Summit E16 Flip |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,413 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4 lbs | 4.19 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.72" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.98" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11370H | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.4" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2400 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 491 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
MSI Summit E16 Flip
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | October 2022
"The MSI Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop with pen, 16:10 display, and RTX 3050 Ti. The Summit E16 Flip is a 2-in-1 laptop from the business segment that primarily targets creative users. MSI combines a 16-inch touchscreen in the 16:10 format with a powerful midrange GPU. While the 2-in-1 laptop from MSI isn't meant for everybody, it should definitely attract some followers. The touchscreen display (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) covers the DCI-P3 color space. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, a good color reproduction, short response times, and a good contrast level."
Get a great deal on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio or the MSI Summit E16 Flip
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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